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Kylie Knott

On a table in front of Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka is a variety of throat lozenges.
“At dinner yesterday I was coughing a bit so the host gave me this,” says Karunatilaka, squeezing a thick brown gooey substance from a plastic sachet. “I’m not sure what it is but it seems to be working.”
It’s not surprising he’s hoarse.
Karunatilaka, in Hong Kong for the Hong Kong International Literary Festival, has been doing more talking than writing since he scooped the 2022 Booker Prize in October for his satirical novel The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida.

Set in 1989 during the Sri Lankan civil war, the book follows debauched protagonist Maali, a photographer who wakes up dead and embarks on a search for his killer, recruiting his charismatic flatmates DD and Jaki along the way.
It’s a gay love story and a gripping murder mystery enhanced by some tools of surprise he picked up from a master of the whodunnit.
While writing I didn’t dare think of prizes and all of that … You think it’s pretty good, but you also realise the possibility that it’s just another South Asian book that might get a bit of critical acclaim
Shehan Karunatilaka
“I added ‘misdirections’ and ‘red herrings’, tools I learnt from Agatha Christie which is what I grew up reading,” he says. “She’s still the gold standard for me.”
The tale, set over seven days (moons), is told through the fragmented lens of war and politics while seamlessly blending fantasy and reality.
Winning the Booker Prize, Karunatilaka says, was also the “stuff of fantasy”.
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“While writing I didn’t dare think of prizes and all of that,” he says. “You spend seven years on this, and you think it’s pretty good, but you also realise the possibility that it’s just another South Asian book that might get a bit of critical acclaim … that was my expectation,” he says.
“All you can control is you put it out there and hope for the best and the best happened because it’s been published in 26 countries, I get to travel and now I have a career as a writer.” His pre-prize job was advertising copywriter.
“Now there’s audio rights and discussions as to whether it will be a movie or miniseries or animation or musical … But yeah, I’m enjoying the ride even though my throat would beg to differ.”

Karunatilaka’s win is the second by a Sri Lankan author – in 1992 Michael Ondaatje took home the Booker Prize for his novel The English Patient – and the author hopes it will open the door for more Sri Lankan writers, as well as those from India, Pakistan and Nepal.
“There are only independent mom-and-pop publishers operating in the region, so maybe one of the big boys, you know, Penguin or HarperCollins, might open branches in these bases.
“I’m also hoping this win will get my work translated into Sinhala and Tamil [the two official languages of Sri Lanka].”

On the day he speaks to the Post, the author is due to give a speech and reading at the Asia Society Hong Kong Centre, the headline event of the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival.
The festival is back to normal after three years of disruption caused by Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, and has attracted top authors including fiction writers Violet Kupersmith and Dung Kai-cheung, travel writer Pico Iyer, journalist Florence De Changy, business writer Chris Blackhurst and novelist Emily St John Mandel.
For Karunatilaka, it’s not his first official visit to Hong Kong. “The Asia Society invited me here about 10 years ago to talk about my first book, Chinaman,” he says, referring to his 2010 novel Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew.
Using cricket to explore Sri Lankan society, the book – which won the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize – heralded his arrival on the country’s literary scene.

After festival duties, Karunatilaka, along with his wife and two young children, were flying on to New Zealand, where he lived for a time when his parents fled the conflict in Sri Lanka.
“I’m attending a high school reunion and haven’t seen some of these guys in 30 years,” he says. “What’s weird is the reunion was arranged a year ago, so suddenly I’m going back with a Booker Prize.
“I have to give a keynote speech, which I’ve been agonising over because I want to gloat a bit and also stick it to the people who were bullies,” he laughs. His boarding school days were rough, he adds. “I hid out in libraries.”
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“But I’m also looking forward to getting away and taking my jacket off and chilling with friends.”
Time for rest is rare these days. Before embarking on the “Booker Prize Express”, Karunatilaka was a 4am riser. “I was productive then because your social media is asleep, your phone’s not pinging, the kids are asleep and the house is quiet.”
Meditation and music help calm his mind. “I travel with my guitar and I bought myself a drum set. My son got a keyboard during Covid so I’m in this room full of instruments but I’m not a particularly talented musician.
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“Do I suspect I might be forming a midlife crisis band? I mean, I enjoy music, but it’s very much a hobby … I think my rock star days are over,” he laughs.
As for more books, the Colombo-based writer doesn’t want to give too much away. “I don’t want to jinx it but I’ve started a third novel, but haven’t written a word since winning the prize in October,” he says.
“I’m in New Zealand for three weeks so I hope to get some writing time. I’m also working on a book about insects.”


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Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka. &#xA;&#xA;CREDIT: Dominic Sansoni

Shehan Karunatilaka, author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida that won the 2022 Booker Prize and a speaker at the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival, has talked about his recent win, his hopes for South Asian fiction, and his next book. Photo: AFP

Shehan Karunatilaka, who won the Booker Prize for his novel set during the Sri Lankan civil war. Photo: Dominic Sansoni

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Last year, Shehan Karunatilaka became only the second Sri Lankan to win the Booker Prize, for his gay love story cum murder mystery set in war-torn Colombo
A 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival guest speaker, he talks about ‘enjoying the ride’, his writing process and hopes for South Asian literature


Shehan Karunatilaka, Booker Prize winning Sri Lankan author of The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida and a speaker at the 2023 Hong Kong International Literary Festival, opens up about the win, his writing process and more.


Sri Lanka

Hong Kong International Literary Festival